


A Little Happiness

by SugarCrystal



Category: Red Dwarf
Genre: Fluff, Happy, M/M, Sweet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-14
Updated: 2018-02-14
Packaged: 2019-03-18 01:34:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,306
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13671504
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SugarCrystal/pseuds/SugarCrystal
Summary: Somewhere out in the multi-dimensions, therehasto be a Rimmer other than Ace who everything actually went right for, so here he is. Rimmer/Lister pure sugar-coated fluff for Valentine's Day.





	A Little Happiness

**Author's Note:**

> This has nothing to do with the universe where Lister is captain. Although intended for Valentine's Day, it was written some time in advance - before _Skipper_ was broadcast.

"Well, what can I say?" said Todhunter. "I really didn't think you'd ever do it. But you have, congratulations." He handed over Rimmer's exam results. "89%, that's a pass."

"So I'm an officer!?"

"Yes, pretty much. We just need to finalise a few things, then we can get you kitted out with your new uniform and assign you a room in the officer's quarters. Then you start tomorrow."

Rimmer clutched his paper in both hands like a holy relic. "I did it," he breathed disbelievingly. "Oh my smegging God, I did it."

"You did," Todhunter confirmed again. "I admit, I assumed you'd cheated to begin with but we couldn't find any evidence of cheating."

Rimmer shook his head, almost cartoonishly, making Todhunter smile. "I didn't cheat, I promise. I just studied properly. Lister helped."

Lister had been a rock. Rimmer's previous attempts at studying had always been futile but then he'd never had anyone on his side before, encouraging him and being helpful. Lister had helped him make a sensible timetable and reminded him to stick to it and run through testing with him and made him snacks and insisted he sleep. He'd been as much of a wreck as usual when he sat down to the exam but as he read through the paper, he slowly realised that he _knew_ most of the answers and the more questions he had answered, the more his fear had subsided and the easier he had found the exam.

"So how'd it go?" Lister had wanted to know afterwards. "You drew a fish on your paper? Ran around the room screaming? Tried to jump out the window?"

"Actually, I think I did all right," Rimmer had replied, biting nervously at his thumbnail. "But I won't know how well until the results come back."

And now they had.

The rest of the morning passed in a blur, Rimmer filled in paperwork, acquired some passcodes, was assigned a new room and issued some new shirts with new badges.

Finally Todhunter showed him to the officer's quarters. "You don't have a roommate just yet. Eventually, another new officer will need a bunk and we'll assign them in here but, until then, you can enjoy being on your own for a bit."

Rimmer said nothing. In fact, there was someone else, someone very important, he was hoping to bring along. But he'd have to ask him first.

"Well, I have to go now, work to do." Todhunter shook his hand. "Welcome aboard, Officer Rimmer."

"Thank you, Sir," said Rimmer formally and did his salute. Todhunter smiled broadly and, in a brief moment of indulgence, did Rimmer's salute back at him, before leaving the room.

Rimmer changed into one of his new shirts and took a moment to have a look around at the white, shiny officer's room before heading back to his old quarters, still in a haze. He'd done it, he'd actually done it and Lister would be proud of him. Now all he had to do...,

He took a deep breath and entered the bunkroom where Lister was lounging in his bunk with a beer.

"You've been gone a while," Lister noted. "You didn't faint, did you?"

Rimmer said nothing, just stood proudly with his hands behind his back, while he waited for Lister to notice. "Hang on...," Lister finally spotted Rimmer's new badge and jumped down from his bunk for a closer look. "Navigation Officer? You did it? You actually passed?"

"I did," Rimmer confirmed.

"You're not having me on?"

Rimmer scowled. "Do you think I'd really go to the trouble of getting a fake officer's badge just to fool you for the few seconds I'd get away with it for?"

Knowing how petty Rimmer could be at times, Lister suspected the answer was yes. But something in Rimmer's expression told him that really wasn't the case. Rimmer really was telling the truth and it was important to him to have finally done this.

"Well, congratulations, Officer Rimmer, Sir," he said in a mock-posh voice with his best attempt at the Rimmer salute. "Seriously, man," he added in his normal voice. "I'm pleased for you, I know how much you wanted this, I hope it makes you happy."

"Thank you, Lister. I couldn't have done it without you."

Lister shook his head. "Yes, you could, if you'd really tried. I just helped."

Rimmer couldn't think of a reply so he just stood silently, gathering his courage.

"So...," Lister broke the silence. "I guess you'll be moving out, then? New room in the officer's quarters, eh?"

"That's right," Rimmer nodded. "Todhunter's already found me a room up there. I just came back to pack."

"I'll..., erm..., I'll miss you," Lister admitted. "I mean, even if we still see each other sometimes, it won't be the same thing as having you around all the time. I'm gonna miss you, man. Really."

"Well, that's the thing, Listy," Rimmer told him awkwardly. "I was rather hoping that you might want to..., come with me?"

"What, go and live in the officer's quarters?"

"Yes. If you want to, of course."

Lister laughed. "Well, yeah, I'd like to live in the officer's quarters! And it's sweet of you to offer, Rims, but they won't let me. It's only you that gets to move in, they're not gonna let you bring your bunkmate along."

"No," Rimmer agreed. "They won't let me bring my bunkmate. But...," He took a deep breath and blurted it out before he lost his courage. "They will let me bring my husband." 

"What?" Lister stared at him, trying to process that statement and Rimmer gave him a worried glance, wondering if this was about to all go horribly wrong. "What did you say?"

Rimmer licked his dry lips and tried again, reminding himself that if it did go pear-shaped, he wouldn't be living with Lister anymore anyway so it wouldn't matter. "I said, 'will you marry me?', in not so many words."

Lister looked at him silently for several seconds. "Are you joking?" he said eventually.

"No," Rimmer insisted. "I mean it. More than I've ever meant anything. I..., I love you, Lister. With all my heart."

"You're doing this all wrong," Lister pointed out. "You're supposed to ask me out first, you can't just go from being bunkmates to being engaged. You've got to have some sort of relationship first, we've never even been on a date."

"I know," Rimmer sighed. "I'm hopeless, aren't I? I just..., I wanted..., I didn't want to tell you how I really felt about you until I'd done something, achieved something. Until this," he clarified, indicating his officer's badge. "I wanted to wait until I was..., really someone. Someone you could be proud of."

"For God's sake, Rimmer," Lister groaned. " _I_ don't care about any of that smeg. I care about _who_ people are, not what badge they've got. It's all the same to me what rank you are. I'd have married you when you were a technician."

Rimmer took in that last sentence and smiles slowly spread across both of their faces as they looked at each other. "So, is that a yes?" he confirmed. "Yes, you'll marry me?"

Lister shook his head despairingly. "Course I will, you daft smegger!" He launched himself into Rimmer's arms and kissed him.

Rimmer held him tightly and kissed back. "Really?" he confirmed.

"Hey, it's worth it to live in the officer's quarters," Lister teased and then remembered how insecure Rimmer could be and quickly added, "I'm joking. I love you, man. Just try and do things in the right order in future, okay?"

"Okay," Rimmer agreed. He rested his head on Lister's shoulder and closed his eyes as, for the first time that morning, he allowed himself to relax. For once in his life, everything had gone right.


End file.
